M.I.A. was born on July 18, 1975 by the name Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam. The first eight years of her life in Sri Lanka was a frightening one. There was civil war in the country back then and her contact with her father was strictly limited as he went to the battle field. As the environment became unsafe, she and the rest of the family moved to India with sporadic visits from her father. In 1986, she was moved again, this time around to London as a refugee along with her family. During this period of time, she started learning English and then enrolled to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, with a degree in fine art, film, and video.